1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to providing medical information, and more particularly, to providing medical information, such as laboratory test results, to patients.
2. Background of the Invention
Medical providers, for example physicians or medical assistants, often must notify patients of medical information. This medical information may include laboratory test results and may also include advisory information. The medical information provided to patients may consist of a relatively simple message, such as "your pregnancy test is negative" to a rather complex message, such as "your hemoglobin A1C test is 8.1; this is good control." Various medical laboratory tests may take from a few hours to multiple days before the information is available to the medical provider and thus, the patient. Once the information is available, medical providers are responsible for notifying the patient of the medical information. At times, the test results may be normal; while at other times, medical tests may require immediate notification and further action. Test results may reveal a life threatening condition which requires immediate treatment.
However, presently, medical providers waste valuable time and resources in attempting to contact patients with medical information. The patient may not be available at the time the medical provider attempts to contact the patient by telephone. Further, medical providers are unable to leave medical information or test results with third parties or on patients' answering machines. The medical provider must ensure that the medical information remains confidential and that the patient's privacy is respected. If a message to contact the medical provider is left on an answering machine or with a third party, the patient may have difficulty in contacting a medical provider by telephone. Thus, valuable medical provider time and resources are wasted in an attempt to provide medical information to patients.
Furthermore, it is necessary for medical providers to confirm that patients actually receive the medical information. As described above, the medical information could inform a patient of a life threatening condition. If the medical provider does not provide the information, the medical provider could be exposed to liability in failing to inform a patient of a medical condition.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for providing medical information to patients without wasting medical provider, as well as patient, time and resources. Medical providers should be able to create generic, as well as specific, messages to patients without having to attempt to contact patients numerous times.
The method and apparatus should also alert medical providers that patients have not received medical information, as well as confirm the receipt of messages by patients. The alerts or confirmations should be in written or tangible form. The method and apparatus should insure patient confidentiality and privacy. Finally, the method and apparatus should be easy to use and have the capacity to train medical providers on its use.